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Nursery at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play indoors and outside, with a distinctly Catholic thread: Sacred Heart’s nursery combines learning through children’s interests with 1.5 hours of taught religious education each week. Faith has a defined place in the learning week.
St Anne is the nursery class within Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery in Bushey. It forms part of the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a framework covering ages 3 to 5 across nursery and Reception. The school aims to work with parents on children’s faith as well as their education.
Children’s curiosity shapes the learning. Staff plan play activities around their interests, with learning taking place outdoors as well as indoors. The EYFS brings together language, physical development and emotional and social development with early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. For parents, that means play has a learning purpose, rather than sitting apart from teaching.
Observation helps staff decide what comes next for each child. Activities can change to suit different needs and rates of development. At the March 2023 inspection, adults in the early years planned opportunities to revisit learning and used questions to establish children’s understanding before introducing the next step. Practice comes before moving forward.
Technology also has a practical place in the EYFS curriculum. Children investigate digital toys and simple devices, explore how images are made, and record sounds to share. Drawing with technology and comparing recorded music with live sound give these activities a creative purpose. Children also learn to respond when something onscreen makes them uncomfortable. These are early experiences of using technology, expressing ideas and asking for help.
Class teachers direct teaching assistants across the school, with support organised for individuals or groups. For children with additional needs, the school uses Assess, Plan, Do, Review plans. Parents contribute to targets, and reviews take place at least termly with the class teacher and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). This gives families a recurring opportunity to discuss whether support matches their child’s needs.
Complex needs. In March 2023, some pupils across the school experienced delays in receiving suitable SEND support because plans did not capture their needs accurately and staff lacked necessary information. This was a school-wide concern, rather than a finding confined to nursery. Families whose child needs additional help should pay close attention to how their needs are recorded and shared with the adults supporting them.
Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline.
For children with SEND moving between classes, information is passed to the next teacher beforehand and a transition planning meeting takes place. Extra classroom visits can be arranged where appropriate. That preparation supports a change of classroom; it should be considered separately from securing admission.
The school is on Merry Hill Road, Bushey, WD23 1SU. Enquiries can go to the school office by telephone on 01923 901179 or by email at admin@sacredheart682.herts.sch.uk.
For SEND discussions, the SENCO can be contacted at SENCO@sacredheart682.herts.sch.uk. This provides a direct route for raising concerns about additional support and discussing a child’s individual needs.
The nursery class is St Anne, within Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery.
Children learn through planned play, exploration and active experiences indoors and outdoors. Staff use children’s interests and observations of their development to plan subsequent learning.
Yes. Nursery pupils receive 1.5 hours of taught religious education each week within the school’s Catholic curriculum.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline.
Parents contribute to planning and target setting. Assess, Plan, Do, Review plans are reviewed at least termly with class teachers and the SENCO.
